Municipal Polls and Beyond: TRS leaders line up their kin for top posts in ULBs

Hyderabad: With the ruling TRS claiming to win most of the municipalities in the state, senior leaders of the party are encouraging their kin to contest for the post of chairpersons in municipalities and mayors in corporations.

According to sources, there are many senior leaders, including MLAs, who want their children or spouses for the post of chairpersons, deputy chairpersons, mayors and deputy mayors in the urban local bodies.

There are 130 urban local bodies, including 120 municipalities and 10 corporations going for polls in the state and the posts of first citizen of the urban local body is up for grabs.

According to the sources, the leaders are lobbying for the posts to their spouses or children with the party leadership.

Some of them are said to have got assurance from the party's working president KT Rama Rao, who is overseeing the civic elections in the state.

The sources said Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud was pitching for his brother Srikanth Goud's name as candidate for the post of mayor of the Mahbubnagar Municipal Corporation.

Another minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy's son Karthik Reddy's name was also doing rounds for the mayor post from the Meerpet Municipal Corporation.

Similarly, some MLAs are also trying for the posts for their spouses. Nagarkurnool MLA Marri Janardhan Reddy is trying for the post of chairperson for his wife Marri Jamuna, the sources said.

Party leaders said she is active in politics and had participated in the campaign during the Assembly elections. The sources said Mahabubabad MLA Shankar Naik was also asking for the post for one of his family members, including daughter.

Sources also said that Hyderabad Mayor Bonthu Rammohan is pitching for the post of mayor for his wife Sridevi Yadav from the Peerzadiguda Municipal Corporation.

This is not the first time that the leaders are pitching their kith and kin in the elections. A majority of the leaders had encouraged and got posts in the recently-held Panchayat elections for the Zilla Parishad chairmen posts.

Party leaders said that leaders are waiting for the announcement of reservation of wards so that they can take up the campaign effectively.

The government would be releasing the list of reservation of wards on January 5 and many more are likely to come out open for the posts, said the sources.